This invention relates to a tape cassette such as a magnetic tape cassette or the like and a leader-trailer tape therefor, and more particularly to a leader-trailer tape used for a tape cassette having a tape body such as a magnetic tape, a cleaning tape or the like arranged therein and a tape cassette including such a leader-trailer tape.
Conventionally, a tape cassette such as an audio tape cassette, a video tape cassette, a cleaning tape cassette or the like is generally assembled while winding a tape body such as a magnetic tape, a cleaning tape or the like on hubs arranged in a cassette casing in such a manner as disclosed in Japanese Publication No. 21784/1976 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,719. More particularly, a tape body or magnetic tape which has a width as produced or is cut into a width suitable for a final product is connected at each of both ends thereof to a leader-trailer tape by means of a splicing tape having an adhesive applied thereto and then wound up on hubs arranged in a cassette casing, resulting in a tape cassette being assembled in the form of an audio tape cassette, a video tape cassette or the like.
In the cassette assembling process described above, for example, a leader-trailer tape cassette is prepared in advance which comprises a cassette casing called a C-O half in audio applications and a T-O half in video applications in the art and a leader-trailer tape of a length as short as about 50 cm received in the cassette casing while being mounted at both ends thereof on a pair of hubs arranged in the cassette casing. Then, the tape body is incorporated in the leader-trailer tape. For this purpose, the leader-trailer tape is drawn out at the intermediate region thereof from the cassette casing by means of a winder. Then, the drawn-out region of the leader-trailer tape is cut at substantially the central portion thereof into two tape sections, of which one end is free and the other end is mounted on the hub. Then, the tape body such as a magnetic tape is abutted at one end thereof against the free end of one of the two cut tape sections of the leader-trailer tape and then a splicing tape is applied to the boundary between the tape section and the tape body in a manner to stretch over both tapes, to thereby join the tape section and tape body to each other.
Subsequently, the tape body is wound up on the hub through the leader-trailer tape section, during which the length of winding-up of the magnetic tape is detected by a tape length detector. When the tape body is wound up in a predetermined length, it is cut. Then, the cut end of the tape body is abutted against the free end of the other leader-trailer tape section and a splicing tape is applied to the boundary between the tape body and the leader-trailer tape section in substantially the same manner as described above. Thereafter, the other leader-trailer tape section is wound up on the other hub, resulting in the tape cassette such as a magnetic tape cassette being assembled.
Unfortunately, the use of the splicing tape for connecting the tape body to the leader-trailer tape causes gaps to be formed between the ends of both tapes, resulting in an adhesive layer applied to the splicing tape being exposed at the gaps. This leads to sticking of the adhesive to various components of the tape cassette to obstruct positive operation of the tape cassette. Also, the gaps cause both tapes to overlap each other at the joint therebetween. Further, the adhesive deposited on the splicing tape generally comprises a soft adhesive, so that it is softened to a degree sufficient to exhibit much flowability at an elevated temperature and hardened to a degree sufficient to lose its adhesive strength at a low temperature. Thus, the adhesive tends to run out from the splicing tape at a high temperature and fail in joining both tapes to each other at a low temperature, resulting in the assembling of the tape cassette being troublesome and the operation of the cassette lacking smoothness and reliability. In addition, this causes the adhesive to stick to a cutter used for cutting the splicing tape, leading to a failure in continuous assembling of the tape cassette.